Thursday 16 May 2013 17.10 EDT
First published on Thursday 16 May 2013 17.10 EDT

In the overheated world of partisan politics, no detail of the president's conduct is too small for dissection, no video frame from his time in the public eye too inconsequential for stern appraisal.

A marine deploying an umbrella to keep the president dry? That definitely qualifies.

A joint press conference Thursday with President Obama and the Turkish prime minister was direly threatened when rain broke out over the Rose Garden, the site of the event.

In a moment of decisive action, the president asked marines with umbrellas to come hold them over him and his guest, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"I am going to go ahead and ask folks, why don’t we get a couple of marines – they’re going to look good next to us," Obama said. "I’ve got a change of suits, but I don’t know about our prime minister.

The marines came up and opened their umbrellas. The press conference proceeded...

The Obama administration has been beset by damaging revelations about alleged misconduct inside the IRS and the justice department. Last week the Benghazi affair returned with a vengeance after a trio of whistleblowers testified before Congress.

Did somebody say Benghazi?

Greg Pollowitz (@GPollowitz)

#FACT There are more Marines holding umbrellas for POTUS than were guarding Amb. Stevens in #Benghazi

The marines who kept Obama dry are presumably attached to the White House military office, which provides personnel for everything from carrying the nuclear football to standing at ceremonies and looking sharp. They've been doing it ever since the George Washington days, according to the official White House history.